Baldina
By:Baldina The Baldina was a 35mm folding viewfinder camera made by Balda in Dresden, Germany, before World War II. Introduced in 1935, the Baldina bore a strong resemblance to both the Welta Welti of the same year and the original Kodak Retina (type 117) introduced a year earlier. The Baldina featured a parallax compensating viewfinder, a knob film advance, a frame counter, and, on the better lenses, unit focusing. There was no double exposure prevention. There were significant variations in the shutter release mechanism. The camera was originally made with no body release and a film advance key; subsequent models had a body release either on the top plate or on the lens bed door itself, double exposure prevention, and a film advance knob. Production of the Baldina appears to have continued until at least late 1941, though there is evidence that these wartime cameras were assembled from a hodgepodge of parts. One camera, with a Schneider lens made in November 1938, has a number of unplated brass parts (advance knob and shutter release), typical of wartime production. Another wartime camera, with all plated parts, has a Schneider Xenar five element lens made in mid to late 1941, which utilizes the front element focusing normally found on simpler lenses. Production resumed after the war in both East and West Germany (see the sections below). The choice of lens/shutter on the Baldina included: * 3 element lenses, with front cell focusing: ** Balda Baltar 5cm f/2.9 with Compur 300 ** E. Ludwig Meritar 5cm f/2.9 ** E. Ludwig Victar 5cm f/2.9 * 4 element lenses, with unit focusing: ** Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/3.5 with Compur-Rapid 500 ** Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/2.8 with Compur 300 * 5 element lens, normally with unit focusing, though a rare example may use front cell focusing: ** Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8 with Compur 300 * 6 element lenses, with unit focusing: ** Rudolph Kleinbild-Plasmat 5cm f/2.7 with Compur-Rapid 500 ** Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 4.5cm f/2 with Compur-Rapid 500, a rare version sometimes called "Night Baldina" (Nacht Baldina) ** Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2 with Compur-Rapid 500 'Jubilette' (folder) Beginning in 1938, a simplified version of the Baldina was introduced as the Jubilette, in honor of Balda's 30th anniversary. Most, if not all, were equipped with lower cost 3 element lenses: * Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.9 * Friedrich Corygon-Anastigmat 50mm f/2.9 * Meyer Görlitz Trioplan 50mm f/2.9 * Balda Baltar 5cm f/2.9 These were all front cell focusing lenses. Some Jubilette's viewfinder had the parallax adjustment of the Baldina. 'Super Baldina' (folder) The 1938 Super Baldina is a version with a coupled rangefinder. The rangefinder was of the split-image type, and separated from the viewfinder. The viewfinder had an automatic parallax correction, coupled with the focusing lever, a quite advanced feature for the time. The Super Baldina existed with a black finish (earlier version) or a chrome finish (later version). The choice of lenses on the Super Baldina included: * 3 element lenses: ** Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan 5cm f/2.9 ** Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.9 ** Schneider Radionar 5cm f/2.8 (rare) * 4 element lenses: ** Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.9 ** Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm f/2.8 * 5 element lens: ** Schneider Xenar 5cm f/2.8 * 6 element lenses: ** Schneider Xenon 4.5cm f/2 ** Schneider Xenon 5cm f/2 The camera was available with a Compur shutter to 1/300 or optionally with a Compur-Rapid shutter to 1/500. The Super Baldina with Trioplan lens in a Compur shutter sold in New York in 1938 for $58.50 US (equivalent to $850 US in 2007). = Postwar by Balda/Belca = After the war, cameras were again produced in the Balda plant in Dresden (then East Germany) until 1951, when the name of the factory was changed to Belca as a result of legal action by Max Baldeweg. 'Baldina / Beltica / Multina' (folder) The pre-war Baldina was produced until 1951 when the camera was renamed the Belca Beltica (first model) when the factory name was changed to Belca. Note that Belca subsequently used the Beltica name for two versions of an entirely different 35mm folding camera. The Multina appears to be an East German Baldina with a Carl Zeiss Jena coated Tessar and a pre-war Compur-Rapid shutter. Determining the origin of any particular post-war Baldina may be difficult, but it is likely that the East German Baldinas were fitted with the following East German lenses used on the renamed Beltica: * E. Ludwig Meritar 50mm f/2.9 * Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2 Another possible lens on a post-war East German Baldina would be the Meyer Trioplan. Note that post-war lenses were usually coated and designated in millimeters; pre-war lenses were usually uncoated and designated in centimeters. = Postwar by Balda Bünde = After the war, Baldas were also manufactured at Max Baldeweg's new Balda Kamera-Werk in Bünde, West Germany. The quality of cameras produced in Baldewig's new factory does not appear to be on the same level as the pre-war products. Noted British author and camera expert Ivor Matanle felt that "If you happen to locate a Baldinette or Super Baldinette that has been little used, it is pleasant to own, but I would not recommend Balda cameras of the fifties as sound cameras for long term use... The post-war ''rigid Baldina and related series of rigid cameras of the fifties are not paticularly well built, and often give trouble when some thirty years old."Collecting And Using Classic Cameras, Ivor Matanle, Thames and Hudson, Inc, 1986 ISBN 0-500-27656-0.'' Baldina (folder) The first Balda Bünde camera was essentially the pre-war Baldina with a Balda Baldanar 5cm f/3.5 lens in a Prontor 300 shutter (and possibly others as well.) Thus, these later versions of the original Baldina had the distinction of being produced by two different companies in two different countries. In 1950, the western Baldina received a satin chrome top plate covering the width of the camera. Baldalette (folder) In 1950, the Baldalette, basically a Jubilette with a body mounted shutter release, was introduced. The lenses included: * Schneider Radionar 50mm f/2.9 'Baldini' / Central 35 / Hansa 35 / Rival 35 / Studiophot / Pinette (folder) The Baldini was essentially the pre-war Jubilette with a new name. In 1950, it received a satin chrome or black enameled top plate that covered the right half of the camera and contained the viewfinder, frame counter, and an accessory shoe. It was also sold as the Central 35, Hansa 35, Rival 35 and Studiophot. Lenses included: * Schneider Radionar 50mm f/3.5 * Schneider Radionar 50mm f/2.9 (Studiophot) * Balda Baltar 50mm f/3.5 * Balda Enna-Baldanar 50mm f/3.5 (possibly the same lens as above w/ different label) * Balda Werk Bünde Jos Zacharias Regensberg 50mm/2.9 Xenostar Anastigmat This last lens appears to be a re-badged Zeiss Jena lens used in yet another of Balda's OEM re-branding efforts. Josef Zacharias opened a photographic specialty and optical supplies store in Regensberg, Germany in 1908. They are still in business under the name Fotohaus Zacharias. The Rival 35 shown above was a re-branded later version of the Baldini. The lens is a Enna Werk München Ennagon 5cm f/3.5 (3 element, front cell focusing) in a Prontor-S shutter (1-300 plus B and synch), which may be the same lens as the Balda Enna-Baldanar listed above. The camera lacks any identification as a Balda, foreshadowing Balda's production of cameras marketed by Minox, Voigtländer, and others. The use of an Ennar lens hints as to the manufacturer of the Balda banded lenses. The Rival 35 was marketed in the USA by the Peerless Camera store chain. This name was also used by Peerless on versions of the Baldinette and Mess Baldinette. Baldinette (folder) * Balda Baldanar 50mm f/3.5 'Rigona' (folder) The original Balda Rigona was a 127 roll film version of the Baldina or Baldax cameras. After the war, Balda-Werk Bűnde produced the 35mm Rigona, a lower cost version of the last model Baldinette, ala the original Baldina and Jubilette. The lenses and shutters were lower cost items as compared to the Baldinette. The factory referred to the camera as the Baldinette Rigona, but the camera itself was labelled just Rigona. The major identifying feature of a Rigona was its low cost Rigonar lens; in the first half of the 1950s, the Rigona sold for 25% less than the cheapest Baldinette (which had a Baldanar lens of the same aperture). Mess Baldinette (folder) The Mess Baldinette was a Baldinette with an uncoupled rangefinder and front cell focusing lens. "Mess" stood for measuring; the uncoupled rangefinder was used due to the cumbersome linkages that are necessary to connect the rangefinder to a front lens element ala the Kodak 35 RF and Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta. The camera greatly resembled the Super Baldinette folder. * Balda Werk Bünde Baldanar 50 mm f/3.5 * Balda Werk Bünde Baltar 50 mm f/2.9 Mess Rigona / Hapo 35 / Rival 35 (folder) The Mess Rigona was a Mess Baldinette with round, rather than square right rangefinder window and the less expensive Rigonar lens. It was sold in the United States by Peerless camera as the Rival 35 and in Europe by Porst as the Hapo 35. Lenses included: * Balda Rigonar 50mm f/2.9 (Mess Rigona) * Enna Haponar 50 mm f/2.9 (Hapo 35) This suggests that this particular Balda lens was a re-branded Enna, probably the Ennagon triplet. Super Baldinette (folder) The Super Baldinette was a Baldinette/Mess Baldinette with a coupled rangefinder and unit focusing lenses. It introduced in 1951, it was the ultimate development on the line of cameras started by the Baldina in 1935. As Balda's premier camera, it was equipped with higher quality lenses: * 4 element lens: ** Enna Ennit 50mm f/2.8 * 6 element lenses: ** Schneider Xenon 50mm f/2 ** Rodenstock Heligon 50mm f/2 Baldina / Super Baldina (rigid) Later, the names Baldina and Super Baldina were used again by the Western Balda company for a completely new series of rigid body 35mm viewfinder and rangefinder cameras with the lens and shutter mounted on a telescopic tube. Despite the lack of a rangefinder, the Baldina, with its brightline finder, utilizes the same top cover as the Super Baldina. These Baldinas were available with either Prontor SVS or Synchro-Compur shutters and a wide variety of lenses: * 3 element lenses: ** Balda Baldanar 50mm f/3.5 ** Balda Baldanar 50mm f/2.8 ** Schneider Radionar 50mm f/2.8 ** Rodenstock Trinar 50mm f/2.8 * 4 element lenses: ** Schneider Xenar 50mm f/2.8 ** Enna Ennit 50mm f/2.8 * 6 element lenses: ** Schneider Xenon 50mm f/2 ** Rodenstock Heligon 50mm f/2 Links In English: * A list of all Balda cameras at The UK camera website In French: * Baldina, Baldina B and Baldina Special at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr In German: * Lists of Balda Dresden, Balda Bünde, and Belca cameras at Reinhard Krahé's website Manuals: * rigid Baldina/Super Baldina manual, Baldinette manual, Super Baldinette manual, Rigona manual at Mike Butkus' site References Category:German 35mm viewfinder folding Category:German 35mm rangefinder folding Category:German 35mm viewfinder Category:German 35mm rangefinder Category:Balda Category:B